SEVEN paid weekly newspapers serving the regional and rural communities of New South Wales Central West and Hilltops are set to change ownership as part of an acquisition deal.
Publications to change hands include paid weekly mastheads Parkes Champion-Post, Forbes Advocate, Canowindra News, The Grenfell Record, Cowra Guardian, Boorowa News and Young Witness.
Provincial Press Group (PPG) will purchase the publications from ACM. The acquisition will expand PPG’s North East Media’s division current 16 newspaper and magazine titles.
ACM managing director Tony Kendall said the company engaged PPG after enquiries regarding NSW publications out the company’s key markets. He said, “Whilst we were not actively looking to sell these titles we felt the proposed transaction was in the best interest of these publications. Our staff do an amazing job in these regions, and I am confident they will continue to serve their communities well under new ownership.”
The transaction is set to be completed by early May, with staff working on the newspapers currently being briefed on the proposed sale.
PPG managing director, Hartley Higgins, along with Narromine Star owners Lucie Peart and Tim Pankhurst, will publish the titles under a new trading entity, Regional Media Corp, and aim to provide strong local news content that reflects each community’s aspirations, promotes growth and jobs, and delivers an effective local print and digital media service.
